Social value Back on track Louise Parfitt chats to NSL service director Paolo Orezzi about offering work opportunities to people who might otherwise struggle to get into employment hen I spoke to Paolo Orezzi at the end of 2020, Marston Holdings (of which NSL is part) had employed nine people, with two more awaiting interview, through the 100 people, 100 jobs, 100 days initiative to get homeless people back into work. Funded by the Greater London Authority, the scheme was backed by homeless charity St Mungos, driven by the passion of Emma Freivogel, founder of recruitment agency Radical Recruit, and her team, and partnered by companies such as Marston Holdings. Despite its success, there were doubts about the initiatives longevity, considering the funding was coming to an end and people who had been temporarily housed in hotels during the pandemic were again facing life on the streets and the barriers to employment of having no fixed abode. So what has happened since then? The 11 people we took on in 2020 are all still with us, Orezzi says. In fact, we have employed 24 people through our partnership with Radical. What started as a project recruiting people from the homeless community turned into a much bigger piece of work in terms of tapping into a resource that we, historically, have never really touched people from disadvantaged backgrounds. W What started as a project recruiting people from the homeless community turned into tapping into a resource that we, historically, have never really touched people from disadvantaged backgrounds The original initiative did come to an end, but NSL supported Radical with a financial contribution and continues to work with them and others, including Beam a company that crowd funds to help people in dire straits, but also supports them back into work. So far from Beam we have employed five people from various walks of life who have struggled to find work. Beam has also just opened an office in Warwickshire, so that will help us with vacancies we have there. Biggest challenge NSL also works with Shaw Trust and Serco, which help ex-offenders get back into work; homeless charity Crisis; and Maximus, which helps people from disadvantaged backgrounds. From those organisations we have taken on 14 people in the past six months, says Orezzi. This all sounds so positive, but has Orezzi found any difficulties with tapping into this new workforce market? After all, if it was easy, wouldnt more firms be doing it? The biggest challenge facing organisations that want to take people from disadvantaged backgrounds is the cost of getting those people work ready, he says. Often, their confidence particularly if theyve come out of care or have experienced domestic violence is at an all-time low. Thats when we require the likes of Beam and Radical to help people prepare, to build up their confidence and make sure they can sell their virtues in a different way to someone who might have had regular work. If theres no central funding from government or local government which there isnt always then the employer has to pay for that service, which adds to the cost of recruitment. 40 PN June 2022 pp40-41 Jobs for homeless.indd 40 24/05/2022 16:25